A Hidden Flower
by MsWolfGirl
Summary: An academy for the ridiculously rich and powerful, catering to only the highest class. That was Ouran Academy. But what if not all of the rich kids stood by this standard? What if there was someone who didn't rely on the wealth and power of their family? Who knew that one tiny blossom could cause such a ripple in the lives of so many...
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this story has been sitting in my head for months. I finally started to write it after watching some OHSHC the other day. This is going to be a long story with plenty of twists and turns, so I hope you guys like it and stick with me! It will be following the anime somewhat, but I will add parts here and there between episodes as well as drift away from it for awhile for some of my own arcs. Please please leave me reviews! Constructive criticism is always welcome!**

 **~Disclaimer~ I will only post this once so it isn't a nuisance to read later on :) I do not own OHSHC or any of it's characters. I only own my OC's and any unfamiliar plot :) Enjoy!**

"I really did it? I got in?" I asked with a huge grin on my face. My parents smiled brightly at me.

"Yes, dear. We just got the letter in the mail this morning and we couldn't wait to tell you!" My mother pulled me into a hug. I felt my father join in beside me, wrapping both my mother and I in his embrace. I returned the hug, excitement bubbling up in me.

"I can't believe I got a full ride to Ouran Academy!" I squealed. "I have to tell Haruhi!" I started to rush off, but my father grabbed my wrist and pulled me back gently.

"Take your shoes off, Suzume." He scolded in a mild tone. I groaned in mock annoyance before rushing over to the door and removing my shoes. I skipped past my father, giving him a peck on the cheek before running down the hall to my room.

I whipped my head around when I heard barking and turned to see my doberman, Dai running up to me. I crouched and hugged the large dog tightly as he wiggled with excitement.

"Hey, Dai! Were you a good boy while I was gone? Did you protect Mom and Dad for me?" He whined and licked my face as I spoke to him in baby-talk. My parents hated that I did that. They thought it would curb his protectiveness.

I stood up and continued to my room. I pushed open the door and huffed when Dai shoved past me and jumped on my bed, curling up and sighing in contentment. I stepped up and sat on the bed next to him, ruffling his ears affectionately. I turned and picked up my phone from the bedside table, dialed the familiar number for the Fujioka residence, and leaned back against my headrest as I waited for someone to pick up.

"Fujioka Residence." Ranka said in a feminine voice. I smiled.

"Hello, Ranka! It's Suzume. Is Haruhi there?" I winced when I heard Ranka squeal.

"Suzume! My dear, how have you been? You haven't been over in so long, I was starting to think that you and Haruhi weren't friends anymore…" I giggled at the pout in his voice.

"Ranka, I was just there last weekend." I rolled my eyes with a smile. Before he could reply, I heard Haruhi talking in the background.

"Give me the phone, Dad." I heard her annoyance clear in her voice, despite the muffled sound. I raised my eyebrows at Ranka's whiny complaints at the phone being taken away.

"Hey, Suzume." Haruhi greeted. I grunted and scolded Dai, who pawed at my stomach roughly as he asked for attention. Haruhi chuckled. "Say hi to Dai for me."

"Did you hear that, you big oaf? Haruhi says hi." He just stared at me. I rolled my eyes.

"So, Haruhi. You know how you just got into that big fancy school cuz you're so smart?" I said plainly. She hesitated.

"...Yes?"

"WELL SO DID I!" I shouted with glee. "Well, not for being smart, but I got in for my art! I got a full scholarship!" I leapt up and started jumping on my bed, causing Dai to jump up and bark.

"Really? You're going to Ouran too?" Haruhi said, slight eagerness in her voice.

"Yep! Looks like you're not the only commoner going to school with the rich kids!" I stopped bouncing and let out a breath before settling back down on my bed.

"You're not exactly a commoner, Suzume." She said with a scolding tone.

It was true. My father was a heart surgeon, from a family of surgeons, and my mother, an Irish-American woman, was into real estate, buying, remodeling and selling or renting out properties in some of the most visited areas in the world. However, my family was different than most rich people.

Our house was relatively small, located on an estate that was about 3 acres in size. We were reasonably close to the schools as well as the markets. The house had a spacious dining room for entertaining higher class guests. The kitchen was small and homey, with an American style island in the center with chairs around it. It was a single story house, and the bedrooms were located in the back of the house. My parent's room was the first door to the right down the hallway, followed by the guest bathroom. My room was back against the far wall, and was just big enough to fit all my things in comfortably. One nice thing about our house, I had my own bathroom and a small, walk-in closet.

Another thing that separated us from most of the upper class families, my family didn't flaunt their money. We had nice clothes, but we didn't need all designer brands. We shopped at the local market, like everyone else in our area. We were friendly with our neighbors, walked our dog down the street, and I attended the local public schools until now. My parents invested some of their money, and saved the rest. I earned an allowance like normal teenagers, and I even worked a part-time job for extra money if I really wanted something. I was raised to be very modest.

"I know I'm technically not a commoner, but I don't want to be associated with rich snobs…" I trailed off. I sighed.

Haruhi paused before she responded. "Listen, I can tell that you're nervous, but I know you'll make friends at Ouran." I rolled my eyes, but laughed lightly.

"I know, Haruhi. At the very least, you're stuck with me!" She let out a heavy sigh. "Don't act like you don't love me, Haruhi!" I laughed before hanging up. She was used to dealing with me. After all, she was one of the only people that knew the real me.

But, ignoring that fact, I had some preparations for the next day.

"I am NOT wearing that monstrosity…" I said defiantly as my mom held up the girl's Ouran Academy uniform." She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Suzume, we really don't have time for this. You need to wear it." I shook my head viciously.

"It's not required, because Haruhi didn't get one! We can just pretend we can't afford it, and I'll whip up a school appropriate outfit to wear." She glared at me, making me wince slightly, but there was no way I could wear that hideous yellow dress.

"If you don't wear this dress, then you have to pay your father and I back for buying it." She warned with a raised brow. I nodded vigorously.

"Yes, ma'am! Every penny!" I said with a bright smile.

She let out an annoyed groan. "Fine. Then go get dressed because you have to leave in 10 minutes if you want to get there in time to get your schedule and find your class before the day starts." I squeaked and took off for my room.

I managed to find a plain white button up, a plaid skirt with various shades of purple, a black jacket that flattered my curvy figure, and a dark purple tie that matched my skirt. I pulled on a pair of white knee-high socks before rushing over to my vanity to take in my appearance.

I let my dark brown wavy hair loose, reaching just below my chest. My green, slightly round eyes that I got from my mother looked back at me from the mirror. Freckles decorated my nose and slightly under my eyes. I loved my freckles and green eyes. The reminded me of my Irish heritage that I got from my mother's side.

Satisfied with my appearance, I grabbed my cellphone, dialing Haruhi's house and reached down to pick up my school bag and rushed out the door. Dai whined when he saw me slipping on my shoes. I patted his head, and yelled a goodbye to my parents before walking out the door just as Haruhi answered her phone with an irritated "Yes, Suzume?"

I paused in my jog. "How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"Who else would call me 15 minutes before school starts?" She said, amused frustration in her voice.

"...Good point. Well, I just thought I'd let you know that I'm leaving now, so I'll be at your house in a jiffy!" She sighed.

"Alright. It's a good thing we're in the same class so you don't have to get a tour. You'd be late for sure." She stated bluntly.

"Bye, Haruhi." I said simply before flipping my phone closed and speeding back up to a jog until I reached her apartment building.

She was walking down the steps just as I arrived. I waved exuberantly, giggling to myself when she shook her head.

We chatted as we made our way to the school grounds. Well, I chatted. She pretty much just acknowledged my babbling, sending snarky quips at me once in awhile.

Before long we reached the main gate. She pushed her glasses up on her face, groaning and leading the way inside. Her grungy sweatshirt that she wore whenever she was uncomfortable, hung off of her small frame.

I stepped up next to her and bumped her with my shoulder. "You okay?" I asked in a rare moment of seriousness. She rolled her eyes and smirked before nodding.

"Yeah. Just thinking about all these damn rich people." I frowned.

"You've been here for a week already, right? Are they giving you problems?" I asked. If anyone was bullying my friend then...they'd get...a stern talking to...probably by the chairman….or a teacher.

Okay, so I'm not a very confrontational person, sue me.

She sent me a disbelieving look. "No, they don't bother me. Not that you'd be able to do anything about it." She chuckled at my offended scowl.

We walked a few steps before I got tired of the fake brooding. "Class 1-A. This is us." Haruhi said. I looked inside and saw all the girls wearing the yellow marshmallow dress, and boys in the standard light blue jackets over white button up shirts, and black pants.

"Ew. Rich kids." I said as I stuck out my tongue. Haruhi sighed and fixed her glasses before stepping inside. I followed and made my way up to the teacher, a younger man who seemed completely overwhelmed by the boisterous class. "Hello sensei. I'm Suzume Yukimura, I just transferred here." I said politely.

He turned and sent me a small nod. "Yes, I was told we'd have a new student. You can call me Miyamoto-sensei." He paused to scold a boy for throwing a wad of paper across the room. "Sorry. We'll skip the introductions today. There's an open seat behind Fujioka." He gestured and turned back to his desk. Well then…

I walked down the aisle, ignoring the blatant stares of my new classmates. I sat down in the seat behind Haruhi, poking her back and whispering, "Are all the teachers this...flustered?" She turned and shook her head.

"No, Miyamoto-sensei is the only one like this. The other students know they can get away with it without getting in trouble, so they tend to walk all over him." I nodded my head and sat back down, seeing that the teacher was ready to start the lecture.

I wasn't much for Japanese history. I had been learning it for years, so it was pretty boring. I found my gaze turning to the window, taking in the trees out in the schoolyard. I glanced around the room once in a while, taking in the curious glances that the other students were sending my way.

The rest of the day went by quickly. I shared all of my classes with Haruhi except for my art class. She went a writing class, while I went to art. Afterwards, we met up in the hall and started walking.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna stay and study somewhere for awhile. We got quite a bit of homework today. Do you wanna stay and study together?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah, sure! I have quite a bit of homework to make up from starting a week late, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't get it done without you there to yell at me anyway." I said with a smirk. It was true… I was a horrible procrastinator. So, off we went to find somewhere to study.

Four libraries. This school had FOUR libraries, and they were all filled with students, talking and laughing loudly. I was very frustrated at this point, and Haruhi was looking defeated. She stopped in front of a door in the empty hallway we currently found ourselves in.

I looked up and read the sign. 'Music Room #3' was printed on the sign hanging over the door. Haruhi stepped up to it and rested her hand on the knob.

"An abandoned music room? This may be our only hope." She muttered. I nodded my head in agreement. I didn't hear any music coming from the room, so it must be empty, right?

Wrong. So very wrong. When Haruhi opened the door, a rush of flower petals blew in our faces. I spit one out that landed in my gaping mouth.

"Welcome, to the Host Club." I stared blankly at the sight in front of me.


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank my first reviewer, gothicpoet0615 for their kind review! I also want to thank DMCP, Sodapoprocks, michelle. kong .7, and gothicpoet0615 for following/favoriting! Here is the next chapter! I'm going through the anime kind of slow, so I hope you guys don't mind the added material! I'm trying to really give you guys a feel for Suzume's character. I took a lot of time deciding how exactly I wanted her to be, and I really hope it plays out in the way I portray her in the story!**

 **Please, leave me a review and let me know what you think! I love constructive criticism, so if you see an error, feel free to let me know! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~Last time~**

" _An abandoned music room? This may be our only hope." She muttered. I nodded my head in agreement. I didn't hear any music coming from the room, so it must be empty, right?_

 _Wrong. So very wrong. When Haruhi opened the door, a rush of flower petals blew in our faces. I spit one out that landed in my gaping mouth._

" _Welcome, to the Host Club." I stared blankly at the sight in front of me._

 **Now**

There were 6 boys standing in the center of the room, all dressed in the standard uniforms. The one who had spoken was a tall blonde with violet eyes and a confident smirk on his face. The boy to his left was a slightly shorter boy with black hair, dark brown eyes and glasses, a notebook in his hands. On the blonde boy's right was a pair of red-haired identical twins, a little shorter than the dark haired one, with amber eyes shining mischievously. On their right, there was a tall steel eyed boy with dark hair that towered over the rest of them. What surprised me the most though, was the small blonde boy perched on his shoulder, holding a pink stuffed rabbit. His soft golden eyes looked down at us, shining with innocence. Oooookaay then…

"Um...Haruhi?" She remained silent next to me. The only indication that she heard me was a twitch. "I don't think this music room is abandoned." I trailed off as the tall blonde rushed up to us.

He took my hand in his. "Greetings, my princess." Princess? What the hell? "I am Tamaki Suoh, please, allow me to cater to your whims." He ushered me away, tugging me towards a couch in front of a table. I hesitated, turning to see Haruhi looking between the men and I nervously.

"Now, what is your name, my darling?" I lifted a brow. What did he just call me?

"Um, I think we have the wrong room. We'll just be going." I stood and booked it over to Haruhi, gripping her arm and preparing to tug her out of the room, but was stopped by the ginger twins.

"Not so fast princess, stay…" The one on the left says with a devilish smirk.

"And play with us for awhile." The other one said. Yikes.

"Uh, no thank you." I refused politely. I turned back to see Haruhi being interrogated by the rest of the boys, minus the really tall one, he seemed very quiet.

"He's in your class, isn't he Hikaru, Kaoru?" The twins stepped up beside me, resting their arms on my shoulders. Um. Okay. Sure, I'll be your freaking arm rests.

"Yeah, but he doesn't really talk much, so we don't know much about him." They said together with a shrug.

"Hmm… Who would have thought that the new honor student would be homosexual." The tall blonde pondered.

"WHAT?!" Haruhi and I screeched.

"So, who's your type?" He went into a discussion of all of the boys' types. The twins, Hikaru and Kaoru were the little devil type. The tall one with glasses, Kyoya, was the cool type. The tall silent one was Mori, the wild type. The little blonde boy was Honey, the boy lolita type, and finally he introduced himself...again.

"Or perhaps, you like the princely type, such as I." He gestured to himself dramatically. I blinked. Was this real life?

"W-we were just looking for a quiet place to study!" Haruhi stepped back nervously. I saw that she was about to knock over a vase, and moved to stop her, but the twins each grabbed one of my shoulders just as she bumped into it, knocking it over and causing it to shatter. I gasped as the beautiful silver vase with green gemstones fell to pieces on the floor.

"Aww, we were going to feature that vase at the school auction." The twin on my left said.

"The starting bid was 8 million yen." My eyes bulged and Haruhi nearly passed out. She started counting on her fingers.

"How many thousands is that…?" She muttered to herself. I pulled myself from the twins' grasp and hurried up to her, putting an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"Too many, Haruhi, too many." I said quietly. She ignored my semi-snarky comment, turning to the boys.

"I'm going to have to pay you back." She said with a nervous chuckle. The twins gave her disbelieving looks.

"With what money? You can't even afford a school uniform…" They said with obvious judgment. I scowled at them slightly.

"Well, Tamaki? What should we do?" Kyoya-senpai asked, a dangerous glint shining in his eyes.

Tamaki-senpai bent down to pick up a shard of the vase before falling into a chair. He let out a sigh and fixed Haruhi with a stern look.

"Since you don't have the money, you'll have to pay with your body." We stiffened before he continued. "For now on, until you earn the 8 million yen, you will be the host club's dog."

…

….

What?

"H-host club's...dog?" She asked tentatively. She sent me a defeated look before turning to face Tamaki-senpai.

"Yes. So, your first order of business. Prepare the room for guests! The club opens in fifteen minutes!" And with that, he was gone.

Haruhi groaned and slumped over. "Well, I guess I have no choice."

"Damn, Haruhi, you really dug yourself a hole this time, didn't you?" I joked. She swatted the back of my head halfheartedly before shuffling off behind Honey-senpai, who offered to show her where everything was.

I turned and watched as the boys prepared for...whatever it was they did here. I searched until I saw Kyoya-senpai sitting at a table, typing away at the sleek laptop in front of him. I approached him somewhat shyly.

"Kyoya-senpai?" I asked. He looked up at me, offering me a smile.

"Yes, Miss Suzume?" I balked.

"H-how did you know my name?" He sent me a smirk before looking back at his computer.

"Suzume Yukimura. Age 15. Class 1A. Your father is a renowned heart surgeon and your mother is a prominant figure in real estate. You attended public schools until this year, and live a modest, yet comfortable life." He looked up at me. "Oh, and you have a dog."

"What the hell?! Are you a stalker or something?" I took a step back. He scoffed.

"Absolutely not. I merely did research on the two new students." He went back to typing.

I rubbed my left arm with my right hand nervously. "Sure…" I shook my head. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you…" I trailed, waiting to see his reaction.

"Yes, Miss Suzume?" He didn't look up from his computer.

I let out a breath and bowed. "Please let me help with Haruhi's debt." I looked up slowly and saw him looking down at me with a raised brow.

"Hm. I suppose that wouldn't be a problem." He typed some more. "I'm not sure what you could do to help out though. We don't have female hosts." He sent me a blank stare, waiting for me to speak up.

"Well, I don't know exactly what you do here, but I've had a few part time jobs, so I'm pretty handy to have around. Whatever you need me to do." I said firmly. He sent me a calculating look.

"Alright. Go assist Haruhi for now." I gave him a bow and turned to leave. "Oh, and Suzume?" I turned and and sent him a curious look. "The others think that Haruhi is male," I balked and sent him an incredulous look. "Please don't say anything about her actual gender."

"Uh, okay? But can I ask why you want them all to think she's a boy?" I asked.

"It'll be much more interesting this way." He said simply, returning to typing on his computer.

I paused for a moment, taking in the insanity of the situation Haruhi and I found ourselves in before making my way over to the door where Honey-senpai had taken Haruhi. Before I could make it inside, I was stopped by Tamaki-senpai and the twins.

"My dear princess, please. Is there anything I can do for you?" Tamaki-senpai said with a charming smile. I laughed nervously.

"No thank you. I'm just going to help Haruhi.." I moved to step around them, but was stopped by the twins. Each twin perched an arm on my shoulder, effectively holding me in place.

"You're not a guest…" The one on my right said.

"And you're friends with our dog…" The one on my left chimed in. I frowned.

"So that makes you our new toy!" They said together.

"I'm not a toy!" I jerked away from them. "Now if you'll excuse me." I stormed through the door to join Haruhi. Stupid jerks.

 **~~Third Person's POV~~**

The twins sent each other a meaningful glance before sliding their way over to Kyoya-senpai.

"Kyoya-senpai. Who is that girl?" Hikaru asked.

"Her name is Suzume Yukimura. She's childhood friends with Haruhi." Kyoya-senpai said without a pause in his typing.

"So she's a commoner as well then?" Kaoru questioned with a curious glance at the room the new girl had stormed off to.

"Well, not exactly." The twins sent him a questioning look. "Her father is a renowned heart surgeon. He's actually the top of his field in my father's hospital. Her mother works in real estate and manages some of the best estates in almost all of the top locations in the world." Hikaru and Kaoru were impressed.

"Maybe our new toy will be more fun than we thought." Hikaru said with a smirk.

 **~~Suzume POV~~**

"Ugh. Those twins are evil." I dropped my bag off next to Haruhi's and groaned as I slouched on the counter across from her and Honey. He grinned.

"Hika-chan and Kao-chan don't mean any harm. If they pester you like that, it means they like you!" He said with a bright smile. I frowned.

"Yeah, well. I still think they're jerks…" I pouted. "So, what kind of club is this? And if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in a high school club?" I was curious why there was a child here.

"It's a host club!" I lifted a brow. Say again? "We entertain the girls with tea, and snacks and it's really fun!" I hummed a response. Interesting. "And I'm in a high school club because I'm in high school. I'm a third year!" He bounced in place, holding his pink stuffed rabbit.

Haruhi and I screeched, "WHAT?!" I backtracked quickly, "I'm sorry, Honey-senpai. I just didn't know…" I trailed off.

He giggled. "It's okay!"

I turned back to Haruhi, shaking my head. "So, Haruhi. I'm here to help." I perched my hands on my hips and sent her a grin. She rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"I guess I'm just like an errand boy. I have to deliver tea, snacks and run errands." She let out another, heavier, sigh. "So much for studying tonight." She looked up at me apologetically. "You can go home if you want, Suzume. No need for both of us to fail."

I shook my head at her. "Not a chance! This seems like fun! No way am I missing this!" I sent her a cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes, but I noticed the corner of her lips turned up into a small smile.

We spent the next 10 minutes or so setting up tables with tea cups and saucers as well as prepping silver trays with small plates of snacks and setting tea kettles on the small stove to heat water for the tea.

"Alright, everyone! It is time!" Tamaki-senpai said dramatically. I straightened from setting a table, double-checking to make sure everything was in place before walking over to Kyoya-senpai.

"So, Kyoya-senpai. What do you want me to do now?" I looked up at him expectantly. He glanced down before writing in his black notebook.

"Hmm...I suppose you can just hang around and keep an eye everything. I trust you can handle it?" He sent me another calculating stare.

I nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, I think I'll manage." I turned when I heard the doors open.

It took moments for the room to be flooded with girls in obnoxious yellow puffy dresses. "Oh boy." I muttered to myself. I turned and followed Haruhi to the back room to grab some trays of snacks.

We spent the next hour or so running back and forth between tables, handing off pots of tea, trays of snacks and clearing away dishes. We were finally caught up as the last few girls were leaving. We piled the last of the dishes onto our trays and carried them into the back room. We washed them and set them to dry before heading back out to the main room.

I wanted nothing more than to collapse on one of the comfy couches, but I resisted the temptation. Haruhi and I stood awkwardly with our bags in our hands.

"Everything is cleaned and put away. If there's nothing else you need, we're going to go home." Haruhi said, edging towards the door.

"Very well. See you tomorrow." Kyoya-senpai said simply. The rest of the group said their goodbyes and we rushed out the door.

Once we were safely outside of school grounds, I couldn't resist laughing. "Haruhi, that was kinda fun!" She glared at me.

"No, it wasn't. Now I'll have even less time to study." She said with a defeated sigh. I turned and smiled.

"You'll be fine! You're smart." She gave me a look. "Let's go back to your place and work on homework. I'll text my parents and let them know I'll be home late. It's been awhile since I've seen Ranka anyway." I grinned. She sighed once again but nodded.

"Alright."

I sent my mom a text saying that I wouldn't be home until late and to not wait up. She replied, telling me to be careful and have fun.

When we got to Haruhi's apartment, we were barely in the door when I was pulled into a tight hug, being spun around by Haruhi's father.

"Oh, Suzume! I was hoping to see you! It's been so long! How was your first day at Ouran?" He rubbed his cheek against mine as he hugged me. I laughed and hugged him back.

"Hello, Ranka. School was good. We made some...interesting acquaintances today."

After divulging our day to Ranka, Haruhi and I sat at the small table in the dining room to work on our homework.


	3. Chapter 3

**TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY! I never do this...but I couldn't resist! I think this chapter is quite a bit shorter than the last one, but I feel like it gives a pretty good feel for the relationship between Haruhi and Suzume. I hope you guys like it! Please leave me a REVIEW! :D They fuel my inspiration!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Last time**

 _After divulging our day to Ranka, Haruhi and I sat at the small table in the dining room to work on our homework._

 **Now**

"Ugh.." I groaned and let myself fall on my back. "It's been three hours and I'm still not done!" Haruhi had finished her homework about an hour ago and was coaching me through some of mine.

"You only have a couple more problems to do, Suzume. If you'd stop whining and just do it, you'd be done already." She scolded. I pouted at her, propping myself up on my elbows.

"Haruhi, you're so mean." I took out my cell and saw that it was already 8 o'clock. "Shit, I have to go. I didn't realize how late it was." I started putting all my things back in my bag.

"Don't worry about it, Suzume. I just got off the phone with your parents. You can stay here for the night." Ranka said from the doorway. He looked a lot different when he wasn't caked in make-up and women's clothing. His long reddish-brown hair fell down in waves to just past his shoulders and he was dressed in black sleep pants and a white t-shirt. He looked significantly more masculine. He sent me a tired smile.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a pain." I said with a slight frown. Ranka worked late most nights and I knew he appreciated the nights off he got to spend with Haruhi.

"Don't be ridiculous! We'll have some family bonding and watch movies and-" He was cut off by Haruhi.

"Dad, we still have school tomorrow." She said bluntly. He started whining and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Would you guys mind if I borrowed some clothes and washed my uniform?" I asked through the giggles.

Ranka shot up. "Of course! Haruhi, why don't you go find some clothes for her to wear, and I'll go switch over the laundry." He dashed off without her reply. Haruhi sighed and turned to me with a grin.

"Well, now that you successfully ruined my relaxing night…" She trailed off with mock annoyance.

"Oh please. You know you're dad wouldn't have let you have a quiet night on his night off." I retorted knowingly.

She led me to her room and dug through her dresser, finding a spare baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. She tossed them to me. "Here you go. Just bring out your uniform when you're done changing and I'll throw it in the wash."

"Thanks!" She shut the door behind her as she left. I changed into the clothes quickly and went to the laundry room, where Ranka was still tossing clothes around.

"Here, I can help." I offered. Ranka waved a hand dismissively.

"Nope, you're a guest, Suzume! Just set them on the edge of the washer and go relax." I could hear the tiredness in his voice, but didn't say anything. It wouldn't do any good anyway.

I made my way into the living room where Haruhi had three glasses of juice and a bowl of popcorn sitting on the table and three cushions placed on the ground around it. She turned as I approached.

"One movie, then we're going to bed." She said firmly. I grinned, knowing that her father would talk her into at least 2 movies, if not more.

"Sure, Haruhi." I sat on one of the cushions and picked at the popcorn. After a few minutes, Ranka entered the room and plopped down on the cushion between Haruhi and I.

"Alright girls, what are we watching?" He took a handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth. He may dress and act like a woman, but he still ate like a caveman.

"There's a documentary I've been wanting to see…" Haruhi trailed off. Ranka and I booed and threw a few pieces of popcorn at her.

"Let's watch a horror movie!" I said with a cheer. I was actually very easily scared, but that was part of the fun.

"Suzume, you hate horror." Haruhi said.

"Nuh-uh! They just scare me a little. Come onnnnn~" I whined. She rolled her eyes and put in a scary movie.

"M-maybe that was a bad idea…" The movie was certainly scary. But it was more of a psychological horror than a monster-horror.

Haruhi shook her head. "I told you we shouldn't watch it."

"That was great! Now, I know you girls need to get to bed, so I won't bother you anymore. I'm just going to make sure the door is locked." Ranka said in a rush. He ran up to the main door. Haruhi and I exchanged a glance when we heard a loud commotion.

When we walked over and poked our heads around the wall, we saw Ranka piling things in front of the door. I let out a nervous chuckle while Haruhi sighed. "Come on, Suzume. Let's go to bed." I rushed after her.

She set up a futon on the floor next to hers. I helped straighten it out and crawled under the covers. "Night Suzume." She said with a yawn, shutting off the light and climbing into her own bed.

"N-night Haruhi." I stuttered.

I didn't sleep much that night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4! I hope you guys like it! We're back to the actual storyline in this chapter :) Please leave me a review! Also, thanks to UnrulyDreamer and gothicpoet0615 for your reviews! They were very helpful and I really appreciate it! Also thanks to everyone for following and favoriting!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Last time...**

 _She set up a futon on the floor next to hers. I helped straighten it out and crawled under the covers. "Night Suzume." She said with a yawn, shutting off the light and climbing into her own bed._

 _"_ _N-night Haruhi." I stuttered._

 _I didn't sleep much that night_.

 **Now...**

Classes the next day were uneventful. I was too distracted with thoughts of going to the Host Club after school to pay much attention to my teachers. More than once throughout the day, Haruhi would poke me with her pencil and gesture for me to focus. Before I knew it, the final bell sounded and we were dismissed from class. Haruhi and I met up and made our way to the club room.

We entered the room, said hello to everyone and made our way to the back room to prepare the trays for snacks and drinks. I was actually kind of excited. As shy as I was around new people, I did enjoy making friends, and this seemed like a good place to do it.

After I arranged a tray full of sweets, I made my way out to the main area to see that the tables were already filling up with guests. I put on a smile and made my way around to each one, handing off small plates with slices of cake on them. Haruhi had made it out of the club room by then, and was doing the same with cups of tea.

"Haruhi, Suzume, come here please." Tamaki-senpai said with a superior tone. I rolled my eyes, but followed Haruhi over.

"Yes, Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi's voice was laced with poorly hidden irritation.

"I need you two to go pick up some things. Here's a list." He handed Haruhi a sizeable list of things he needed. I peeked over her shoulder to see what it was we needed to buy. Cake, bread, tea, coffee, cake, assorted fruits, cake. Honey-senpai definitely got a hold of this list.

Haruhi let out a suffering sigh, which I chuckled at. "Alright. We'll be back in a little while." She said.

I followed her out of the school, smiling at the beautiful day. "Hey, Haruhi." She looked over at me. "You really aren't enjoying this, are you?" I said with an amused grin. She scowled at me.

"No. I don't have any time to study now, and they have us running all over the place waiting on them hand and foot. It's a nuisance if you ask me." She said with a huff.

"But still, maybe this will be a chance for us to make some friends. I don't know about you, but I can always use more of those." I looked over at her with a cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes at me.

"I guess." She muttered half-heartedly. I giggled and skipped ahead of her.

We returned to the club room about an hour later. I pushed down the doorknob with my elbow and shoved it open with my shoulder, holding it open to let Haruhi through before letting it slam shut. I winced. Whoops.

"We're back, Senpai." Haruhi called out as we sat the bags on the counter. We both grabbed a few things and went to put them away.

"Ah, good job little piglets." I froze. He did NOT just call us 'piglets'. I turned and fixed him with a glare.

He walked up to the bags and pulled out the clear plastic container holding the instant coffee we purchased. "What is this?" He asked curiously. I gave him a disbelieving look. Surely he wasn't THAT much of a snob.

"It's coffee." Haruhi responded.

"Really? How strange," Apparently he is that much of a snob. "it's already ground?" He finished with wonder. Haruhi shook her head.

"It's instant." Tamaki-senpai gasped.

"That's the stuff that you just add hot water to, correct? How fascinating…" He trailed off as he looked at the container. The other hosts and the guests huddled around him, staring on with curiosity.

"So, commoners really don't have time to grind their own coffee beans. That's so sad." One of the guests said with a sad frown. I rolled my eyes at their naïveté. _Come on people, get out once in a while._ I thought to myself as I continued putting away our purchases.

When I heard Tamaki-senpai tell Haruhi to make the 'commoner's coffee', I stepped out and stood behind the couch nearby to watch. There was one girl that wasn't ogling the coffee-making process. She had longer red hair and was sipping at her tea with a look of annoyance on her face.

"Alright. Here goes nothing." Tamaki-senpai said with a nervous glance at the cup in front of him. I let out a breathy chuckle. The girls were watching him with almost fearful expressions on their faces.

"You don't actually have to drink that crap, just because they bought it." The girl in front of me said. "You're palate won't be able to handle it." She said with a sneer. Her voice was quiet, only loud enough for me to hear. I lifted a brow and looked down at her.

"Excuse me?" I asked, making it sound like I hadn't heard her. She looked up at me appraisingly for a moment before sending me a very fake smile.

"Oh, nothing. I was just talking to myself." She said. I nodded with a forced smile before turning back to see Tamaki-senpai back to wooing the girls.

It didn't take long for the rest of the guests to settle down. They seated themselves amongst the hosts. After I put away the rest of the groceries, I looked around and saw that none of the tables seemed to need anything. I took this chance to observe the hosts.

The twins were at a table with two brown-haired girls, one with short hair and another with longer hair with braids woven around her head. I couldn't hear what they were saying to each other from where I was, but the position they were in was very suggestive and very...disturbing. I shuddered and turned to see Kyoya-senpai talking to two girls with a charming smile on his face. Tamaki-senpai was being Tamaki-senpai, as usual. I turned to look for Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, but frowned when they weren't present.

Before I could ask anyone, the club room door opened and in walked Mori-senpai carrying Honey-senpai on his back.

"Sorry," Honey-senpai mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he clutched his stuffed rabbit. "I was waiting for Takashi to get out of Kendo practice and I fell asleep." Mori-senpai walked over to a table with four girls seated around it. "I'm still a little sleepy." Honey-senpai finished with a yawn. I couldn't resist smiling at how cute he was. Apparently I wasn't the only one, as all of the girls at the table squealed at him.

I looked over when Kyoya-senpai left his table and walked over to Haruhi. I frowned curiously, but decided not to intrude. I leaned back against a pillar with a small smile on my face as I watched the hosts interact with their guests.

Suddenly, Honey-senpai leapt from his spot on the couch and dove at Haruhi, grabbing her arm and swinging her around. I moved a little closer to hear what they were saying.

"Haru-chan! Would you like to come eat some cake with me?" He asked with a bright smile and excited eyes.

Haruhi put her free hand on her head as she steadied herself. "No thanks, Honey-senpai. I don't really like sweets." She mumbled.

Honey-senpai wasn't discouraged. "Then, do you want to hold my Usa-chan?" The rabbit was hanging from his hands behind his back.

"I'm not really into bunnies." She said as she finally regained her balance. Honey-senpai sent her a heartbroken look.

"You mean, you don't like Usa-chan?" He held the bunny up in her face. Haruhi didn't respond for a moment. She looked at the rabbit for a bit before leaning closer to it.

"I guess it is sort of cute." She said with a small smile. Honey-senpai looked up at her thoughtfully for a second before shoving Usa-chan into her hands and spun around with a big smile.

"Take good care of Usa-chan for me!" I couldn't resist giggling at the interaction. When I looked up again, I saw Honey-senpai standing in front of me. "Suzu-chan, would you like to eat cake with me?" He asked with hopeful eyes. I smiled down at him.

"Sure, Honey-senpai." He cheered and grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to the couch. He let go of my wrist after I sat down and dove into one of the girls' laps, rolling around as he laughed. I gave an awkward chuckle before a piece of strawberry cake was pushed in front of me. I looked up and saw Mori-senpai pulling his hand back.

"Thanks, Mori-senpai." I said with a smile. He nodded his head and looked back at Honey.

I was enjoying listening to the conversation between Honey-senpai and his guests, but turned when I saw Hikaru and Kaoru walk over to Haruhi, who was now surrounded by all of the hosts except Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. The twins were resting their hands on her head and Tamaki-senpai was gesturing exuberantly with his arms. I quietly excused myself from the table and stood next to Kyoya-senpai to listen.

"You can teach him all the basics of hosting…" The twin on Haruhi's right started. "But it won't do any good if he doesn't look the part." The other one finished. "Maybe if we take off his glasses it'll help." He said as he moved in front of her. He reached forward and pulled off Haruhi's glasses. He looked at her surprised for a moment. His brother moved next to him, looking at her with the same look of surprise.

"Hey! I need those. I lost my contacts on the first day of classes." She protested, trying and failing to grab her glasses from the twins.

Tamaki-senpai shoved the twins out of his way, looking at her with rapt attention, gasping slightly. He snapped his fingers suddenly.

"Hikaru, Kaoru."

The twins saluted him. "Got it." They each grabbed one of Haruhi's arms and pulled her into a changing area connected to the main room. I lifted a brow. What was she getting herself into now?

"Kyoya-senpai, call my hair stylist." The bespectacled boy pulled out his cell and dialed the number wordlessly. Tamaki-senpai looked over to Mori-senpai next.

"Mori-senpai, go to the eye doctor and get some him some contacts." The tall boy ran out of the room, a determined hint to his stoic face.

"Um, Tamaki-senpai… I don't think he can just go get prescription contacts for someone…" I was blatantly ignored. I heaved an irritated sigh and accepted the fact that my opinion is apparently meaningless.

"What about me, Tama-chan?" Honey-senpai looked up at him with determination, Usa-chan hanging from his arms.

Tamaki-senpai was thoughtful for a moment. "Honey-senpai,"

"Yes, sir!" His eyes shining with purpose.

"Um. Go eat some cake." Tamaki-senpai said as if he'd solved world hunger.

Honey-senpai deflated, carrying Usa-chan to a small table with a slice of cake in front of it. "Guess it's just you and me, Usa-chan." He said dejectedly.

"Get out!" I heard Haruhi yell. I turned to see Hikaru and Kaoru getting shoved out of the changing area. They shared a meaningful look before glancing over at me curiously. I shook my head at them before moving next to Kyoya-senpai.

"So, Kyoya-senpai. Why exactly are you guys giving Haruhi a makeover?" I asked curiously. He looked down at me briefly before turning back to his notebook.

"It has been decided that Haruhi will become a host, but to do that, 'he' needs to look the part." He emphasized the 'he', sending me an amused smirk.

I didn't try to hide the surprise from my face. Haruhi was going to become a host? As in flirting with girls? I snorted and laughed at the thought.

"Whatever is so funny, Suzume?" Kyoya-senpai asked.

"Haruhi has to flirt with girls! I don't think she's ever even NOTICED a guy before, much less flirted with them! And now she has to hit on a bunch of girls!" It was uncharacteristic of me to be this open with people I didn't know very well, but I couldn't hold it in.

Kyoya-senpai's face showed mild surprise, but he didn't comment further. I wiped the tears from laughing off my face and walked over to Honey-senpai's table.

"Honey-senpai, do you mind if I join you?" I asked tentatively. He looked up with a happy smile.

"Of course, Suzu-chan!" He pulled Usa-chan off the other seat and pulled it out for me.

"Thank you, Honey-senpai." I smiled.

"You're welcome! Would you like some cake?" He asked as he put another plate of cake in front of himself.

I shook my head. "No thank you, senpai. I wouldn't want to ruin my dinner." He nodded and continued to eat his cake.

Finally, they were done playing dress up with Haruhi. I looked up to see the finished product, and gasped softly. She looked good as a boy.

Her hair was now cut cleanly, the split ends trimmed away so her hair flattered her face. She was no longer wearing the large glasses, which gave her a softer appearance. The boy's uniform looked good on her as well. I walked up to her with a knowing grin on my face.

"Wow, Haruhi. You look great." She looked up at me warily. She could tell by my tone that there was more. "Who knew you would make such an attractive guy?" I finished with a wink. She glared at me, but there was no heat to her look so I wasn't concerned.

"Shut up, Suzume." She grumbled. I giggled. "Are you sure it's okay for me to keep this uniform?" She asked the others.

Tamaki-senpai held his face as he fawned over her. "You're so cute! You're as pretty as a girl!"

I held back a snort of laughter, pretending I had to cough. Mori-senpai patted my back gently, a barely noticeable hint of concern on his face.

"Thanks, senpai. I'm okay now." He nodded and turned back to the commotion in front of us.

"Haru-chan, you look so cute!" Honey-senpai cheered from Mori-senpai's other side.

The twins were the next to speak up. "If we had known that this is what you really looked like, we would have helped you out much sooner." They said together.

Kyoya-senpai hummed thoughtfully. "Who knows? Perhaps he'll actually draw in some customers." His tone was fairly condescending.

"You know, that's just what I was thinking. Looks like our errand boy is moving up in the world. Starting today, you are a host." Tamaki-senpai chimed in. I looked at them incredulously.

"Seriously, you guys?" I muttered. The twins leaned on my shoulders.

"So…" The twin on my left whispered. "You must have known that Haruhi was a girl." The other one continued. At my nod, they both spoke, "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, Kyoya-senpai told me not to." I said simply. They blinked at each other from over my head and slid away.

"I will personally train you to be a host. If you can get 100 customers to request you, then you're debt to us will be forgiven." My eyes widened at Tamaki-senpai's words. That seemed like a pretty good deal to me. Haruhi looked between the members apprehensively.

"A host?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! I know some of you have been wondering about what I'm going to do with Suzume in this story and what my plot is, and I just wanted you all to know that it's coming up! I just want everyone to get a feel for Suzume's character before throwing her into what I have planned! Please stick with me! :) Thank you to everyone who reviewed! They are what keeps me writing! Thank you as well to all my followers :)**

 **~Last Time~**

 _"_ _I will personally train you to be a host. If you can get 100 customers to request you, then you're debt to us will be forgiven." My eyes widened at Tamaki-senpai's words. That seemed like a pretty good deal to me. Haruhi looked between the members apprehensively._

 _"_ _A host?"_

 **~Now~**

I kept an eye on Haruhi as she took her first table of guests. There were three girls that I recognized as previous guests sitting at her table. One had long black hair with bangs across her forehead. Another had long brown hair with two buns decorating the top. The third girl had short, light brown hair. All three of the girls were bold and didn't hesitate to ask Haruhi about herself.

"So Haruhi, why did you join the host club?" They asked in sync. Wow, was that something they practiced at this school? I wondered to myself.

I made my way around the room, offering tea and snacks to the guests. I had a lot of slack to pick up now that Haruhi was entertaining girls instead of errand boy-ing with me. I didn't mind, and the boys seemed to lighten up after Haruhi started hosting.

Speaking of Haruhi, she sat thoughtful for a moment, seeming to gather her thoughts before responding to the girls. "Well, I guess I should start with a story." She said somewhat meekly. I was impressed. The girls looked at her with concern.

"My mother…" I frowned at the mention of Haruhi's mother. She had passed away from an illness years ago. Haruhi and I grew up together, so while my memories of her mother, Kotoko weren't that strong, I do remember how kind she was. I felt a twinge at her memory and walked away. I didn't want to hear this story.

I noticed that Tamaki-senpai was facing the back of the couch, listening in on the story. I sighed sadly and moved over to an empty area, leaning against a pillar. I let out a chuckle. This seemed to be my go-to spot to watch everyone.

I glanced over and saw Haruhi smiling at the girls, causing them to swoon. I shook my head fondly before heading back to the back room to grab more snacks. When I came back out, I saw that the twins and Kyoya-senpai had all swarmed the area, listening to Haruhi entertain her guests.

I made my way over there to offer treats to Tamaki-senpai's guests when one of them spoke up from her spot. "Have you forgotten about me, Tamaki?" It was the girl that complained about the coffee. I frowned slightly, but hid it beneath a fake smile as I approached the table.

"Of course not, my dear. Forgive me, I was just a little worried about our new host." I saw the girl tighten her grip on her cup at his words.

"Yes, I've noticed. You've sure been keeping a close eye on him, haven't you?" She said with a hint of jealousy.

"Ah, yes. I must. You see, I'm training him to be a gentlemen, just like me." He looked at her affectionately. I barely hid the distaste I was feeling for this girl. She wasn't doing a very good job at hiding her dislike of Haruhi, but Tamaki-senpai either didn't recognize it, or was doing a very good job of ignoring it.

Without warning, Tamaki lifted his hand in the air, snapping his fingers in Haruhi's direction. "Haruhi, come here for a minute." He ordered. I crossed my arms and huffed loudly, causing him to look over at me.

"Tamaki-senpai, Haruhi isn't a dog." I said with a glare.

"It's okay, Suzume." Haruhi said as she approached. "Yes, Tamaki-senpai?" She asked. I caught the girl's eye, fixing me with a death glare. I frowned back at her and returned to the back to reload my tray.

When I stepped back out, the sight nearly made me drop my tray laughing. Tamaki-senpai was holding Haruhi to his chest, spinning around as he complimented her. The girl was looking on in horror as she tried to get Tamaki-senpai's attention, but was ignored. Haruhi pulled away from his chest, still being held tightly in his arms.

"Mori-senpai! Help!" She called desperately. Mori-senpai shot up from his seat, rushing over and pulling Haruhi out of Tamaki-senpai's grip. He held her up in the air for a moment, eyes widening before setting her on the ground.

I laughed out loud when Tamaki-senpai started asking Haruhi to 'give daddy a big hug.' I didn't miss the dark look Tamaki's guest sent Haruhi, but chose not to say anything. I'm sure she won't try anything now that Haruhi is officially a host.

We were in class the next day, just getting ready to head to the Host Club, but Haruhi couldn't find her bag.

"Did you move it somewhere and forget where you put it?" I asked. She shook her head, looking under desks and other nooks and crannies in our classroom.

"No, I always leave it here." She responded distractedly. She walked over to the big window. "You're kidding me…" She said, disbelief in her voice. I walked over and looked down. Her bag was in the pond down below, all her belongings floating in the water.

"Oh man.." I said with a groan. "Come on, we're going to be late if we don't go grab your stuff now." I said, patting her shoulder as I rushed past. She followed right behind me.

Before we got down the first hallway, the redhead from the club walked past us in the opposite direction. Her voice brought us to a stop. "Oh, it's you two again." I fixed her with a glare, ready to pull Haruhi away when she continued. "I bet you love having Tamaki fawn all over you. I can't believe you actually think he likes you." She let out a patronizing laugh. "You'll never be anything but a second class citizen." She said while looking at Haruhi. I snorted. She looked over at me with a superior look of disinterest.

"Come on, Haruhi. She's not worth the time." I pulled her away, smiling to myself at the girls gasp at my disrespectful words.

We made it out to the pond. All of her things were soaked. We pulled off our shoes and socks and she rolled up her pant legs before stepping into the water. I joined soon after, despite her protests.

"You really don't have to do that, Suzume. You can go to the club room so you don't get in trouble." She said as she dug through the water. We had gathered most of her things, now just searching for her missing wallet.

"What are friends for, Haruhi?" I told her with a smile. We dug around the fountain for awhile, but we still couldn't find the wallet.

"Hey, commoners." I turned and rolled my eyes at Tamaki standing next to the pond. I didn't give him a response. "You have a lot of nerve skipping out on the club like this." He scolded lightly. He looked us over, seeing what we were doing and noticing Haruhi's dripping belongings sitting on the ground next to him.

"Hey, Haruhi. Why is your bag all wet?" He asked innocently. I looked at Haruhi to see what she wanted to tell him.

"Oh, um," She looked up at the window for a moment. "I must have dropped it at some point." She said with an awkward laugh. I sighed. I guess we weren't going to get the club to help with our bully. Oh well.

We went back to searching through the water, but a sudden splash made us look up. Tamaki was standing in the fountain helping us search.

"Ah! Senpai, you don't have to do that, you'll get all wet." She said nervously. He chuckled.

"A little water never hurt anyone. Besides," He got a mischievous smile on his face. "Everyone tells me I'm dripping with good looks." I couldn't hold back a laugh at that.

He finally stood up. "Is this what you're looking for?" He held up Haruhi's brown wallet. She rushed over to him as he was making his way over to her. She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Hm? You're not falling for me, are you?" He said with a playful wink. Haruhi blushed and snatched the wallet away.

"No way." She turned and rushed out of the fountain. I shook my head with a smile and climbed out of the fountain myself.

I shook off as much of the water as I could before pulling on my socks and shoes. I grabbed my bag and turned to wait for Haruhi. They were standing and talking to each other, Tamaki saying something that irritated Haruhi into snapping at him, as he started pouting a moment later.

"Come on you guys, we have a club to get to." I called with mock-impatience. Haruhi rolled her eyes at me, but smiled, while Tamaki blanched and rushed us to the club room.

We had only been in the room for about twenty minutes when Kyoya made his way over to the spot where Haruhi and I were taking a short break. "Haruhi, you have a visitor." He said with a blank stare. I turned to see who had requested her and saw the girl from earlier. I glared at her as Haruhi made her way over there.

I spoke before Kyoya could move away. "Hey, Kyoya?" He looked over at me, lifting his brow in question. "Who is she?"

He looked over at the girl. "That is Ayanokoji. She's Tamaki's regular customer. Why do you ask?" I looked at the ground as I tried to decide whether or not I should say anything.

"I think you should watch her." I finally stated. He displayed slight surprise.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Because I don't think she requested Haruhi because she wants to get to know her better." I said darkly. I quickly rushed to the back room to refill my tray and made sure to stick close to Haruhi's table.

"That must have been awful, having your bag thrown in the fountain." She sure didn't look too sorry if you asked me. "And then you made Tamaki walk through that filthy thing?" Her tone held accusation.

"What?" Haruhi frowned in confusion.

"You need to stay away from Tamaki." I couldn't hide the surprise from my face. Wow, she was bold. "He doesn't actually like you. He just feels bad for you because you're a commoner. He only pays so much attention to you because he's trying to make you a gentleman." She finished with a sneer.

Haruhi blinked before coming to a realization. "I get it." Ayanokoji frowned at her words. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

Ayanokoji said nothing, but the sharp anger was clear on her face. Without a word, she grabbed Haruhi's wrist and yanked her over the table. The action knocked it over and made Haruhi fall on top of her.

"Ah! Someone help, he just attacked me!" Ayanokoji screamed. I growled and stomped over, grabbing Haruhi's arm to help her up when I felt a rush of cold over my head. I squealed and pulled away, taking Haruhi with me. We stumbled to our feet.

"What did you do that for?" Ayanokoji said incredulously. I looked over and saw the twins with two now empty water pitchers, shrugging their shoulders at her. I gave them a small glare before pulling my loose hair in front of me and wringing it out, crossing my arms tightly over my chest to push back the chill from the ice water. Haruhi stood by, shocked, but otherwise unaffected.

Tamaki moved forward with a blank expression, pulling Ayanokoji to her feet and brushing her hair from her face. The rest of the hosts and guests had gathered, watching to see what would happen next.

"Tamaki, do something. Haruhi just assaulted me." I wanted to refute her lies, but what Tamaki said next quieted me.

"You're a beautiful girl," He started. "But I'm afraid you're not classy enough to be a guest here any longer." I smiled in victory. "If there's one thing I know, it's that Haruhi isn't that kind of man." He furrowed his brow at the end, his first display of irritation at the girl.

Ayanokoji's eyes widened before tears started to pool in them. "Tamaki, you idiot!" She cried out before rushing out of the club room. I gave a small chuckle at the twins, who were sticking out their tongues at her as she ran away.

I felt something drop on my shoulders, and saw that Mori-senpai brought me a thick towel. "Thanks, Mori-senpai." He nodded and turned back to the others.

"Well Haruhi, how are you going to fix this? It is your fault after all." Tamaki said with a dramatic sigh. I was about to defend Haruhi, but I let out a heavy sigh and stayed quiet instead. It wouldn't do her any good. "Your quota is now ONE THOUSAND!" He pointed at her as he yelled.

Haruhi paled, eyes widening. "One...thou...sand?" She slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"I have high hopes for you, my little rookie." Tamaki sent her a wink.

Kyoya then walked up to her, offering her a bag.

"This is the only uniform we had available. I'm sorry, but it's better than a wet one, right?" He smirked knowingly as she took the bag. "I apologize Miss Suzume, but we only have one extra uniform at the moment." I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's fine. I've got a towel, and really it was just my hair and shoulders that got wet. No big deal." I sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Suzume." I said quietly. Everyone except Haruhi, who had gone to change, sent me a curious look. I blushed at the attention.

"You guys can call me Suzume." I was quickly wrapped in a hug by Tamaki and the twins.

"You're so adorable!" They all chanted. My blush darkened at their unexpected actions and words.

"S-stop you guys." I whined half-heartedly. I secretly enjoyed the affection, but I was afraid of getting too attached to them. I frowned and shoved down my insecurities. Tamaki finally pulled out of the hug, walking over to get towels and moved to take them into Haruhi's changing room. "Tamaki-senpai, wait!" I called, but he had already pulled open the curtain.

He stood there for a moment in shock before whipping the curtain shut and blushing a vibrant red. I couldn't help but laugh at the poor guys expression. The twins pulled away from the hug I was trapped in, instead putting their arms on my shoulders again, sending Tamaki matching smirks.

After she walked out in the girls uniform, Tamaki had collected himself and stepped up to address her. "Haruhi, you're a girl?" He asked with disbelief. She shrugged and nodded as she tied the bow on the uniform around her neck.

"Biologically speaking, yes. But it doesn't really matter to me if you see me as a boy or a girl. I think it's more important to be recognized for who you are as a person rather than by your gender." She said.

"Well isn't this an interesting development." Kyoya said. I gave him a look.

"Kyoya-senpai, you could at least sounds surprised if you're gonna say something like that." He looked at me with his signature smirk, but said nothing.

"You know Senpai," Haruhi started. Tamaki turned and looked at her. "You were pretty cool earlier." She finished with a smile. Tamaki started blushing furiously once again. I giggled.

"Being a host and getting fussed over by a bunch of girls may not be that bad." Haruhi held a hand to her face thoughtfully. "But how am I going to pull off being a guy…" She wondered to herself. She looked up suddenly, pounding her fist into her hand as she got an idea.

"I've got it. I'll just call everyone 'dude' and 'bro' now!" She let out an uncharacteristic giggle. I rolled my eyes with a smile.

Some people never change.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a little while since I updated last. I got a full time job that has a lot of mandatory overtime shifts... I'm working between 50 and 60 hours a week, so updates will probably slow down a little bit. But I won't stop writing, so please be patient with me! Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys like it!**

I groaned as I heard the buzzing of my alarm clock. Dai grumbled when I shifted and disturbed him. "Yeah, yeah." I growled as I reached over and shut off the alarm. I stretched, nudging my dog with my foot, causing him to huff and jump down from my bed. Instead of stalking out of the room like he normally does when I pester him, he walked up to the head of the bed and started licking my face.

"Ew! Dai, stop it!" I yelped, shoving him away and wiping the slobber from my face with my pajama sleeve. I sent him a glare before pulling my outfit from the pile of clean laundry that I left on my vanity last night instead of putting them away. Whoops.

I took a quick shower before getting dressed. After drying my hair, I twisted it into a messy fishtail braid that rested over my left shoulder. I didn't bother with make-up, like usual, and grabbed my bag before heading out to the kitchen.

I wasn't surprised to see that my dad had just gotten home from work. Being a surgeon meant crazy work hours. He hadn't even taken off his scrubs yet. "Morning, Dad." I kissed his cheek as I walked past him. He patted my arm with a tired smile.

"Morning, honey." His voice was laced with exhaustion. I frowned.

"Why are you still awake? Shouldn't you get some sleep before you get called in again?"

"I'm just about to go wake your mother for work. I'm just reading through the paper before I get some sleep." He explained with a yawn. I nodded my head and turned to make myself some toast.

I heard the stool push away from the island as my dad stood up. "Well, have a good day at school Suzume. Try not to get in trouble." He smirked playfully. I scoffed.

"As if I would ever get in trouble." I stuck my nose in the air. It was true though. Through all my years of school, I had never gotten in any trouble. I was usually quiet and stayed to myself. At least until I met Haruhi, but she was a better influence on me if anything. "See you later, Dad." I said as he walked back to my parent's bedroom with a wave of farewell.

I munched on the toast, reaching into the cabinet to pull out a small glass before going to the fridge and pulling out the orange juice. I poured myself a glass, put the juice away and moved my plate of toast and orange juice to the island. I made it about halfway through my breakfast when I heard a loud yawn and the shuffling footsteps of my mother.

"Morning, Mom." I said with a smirk. She was even less of a morning person than I was. She gave me a small glare. She knew I liked to pester her in the mornings when I could get away with it.

"Don't start, Suzume." She said with a groan. I laughed and decided to leave her alone. I looked at my phone and saw that it was time to leave to meet Haruhi so we could walk to school together.

"Well, I hate to end this riveting conversation, but I have to get going, I'll see you later!" I gave her a kiss on the cheek, smiling when she patted the side of my face affectionately as she glared at the coffee pot while she waited for it to start brewing.

I crouched down and gave Dai a hug as he sat with a dejected look on his face. The same face he has on every day when I have to leave for something. "Be good, Dai." He whined as I walked out the door. I bounced down the few steps to the path, walking down and pulling open the wooden gate blocking off the sidewalk from our property. I pulled it shut behind me and started towards Haruhi's house.

She was standing outside waiting for me, as usual. The walk to school was peaceful, but slightly chilly as it was still early spring. We made it through our classes, separating for our final one. As we were about to part ways, Haruhi stopped me.

"Oh yeah, my teacher said my class is getting out early today, so I'm going to go to the library to get some homework done. I'll just meet you at the club room after school, okay?" I nodded and walked into my art class.

This class was almost like therapy to me. Any stress or frustrations I had, I could take out on my canvas and usually my clothes as well. Today was a good day, so I was painting the budding cherry blossoms. I swiped the brush across the canvas, creating the picture I was seeing in my mind.

Sooner than I would have liked, the final bell rang and I cleaned up my workspace. I smiled proudly at my lack of mess, making clean up even faster. I didn't even have to rush to the club. I had plenty of time.

I put my canvas in my small storage space in the art room, closing up my paints and cleaning my brushes and putting them next to it. After washing my hands clean of paint splotches, I gathered my things and headed off to the club room.

When I pushed open the door, I gasped at the sight in front of me. The entire room was decked out like a tropical paradise, live animals included. Birds chirped and squawked, flying over my head as I walked over to the guys standing around a chair in front of me. They were dressed up, definitely looking the part. I grinned.

"Wow, you guys really go all out don't you?" I asked with a chuckle. A toucan flew down and landed on my shoulder, looking at me appraisingly before fluffing it's feathers and getting cozy. I giggled and scratched its chin, drawing a coo like sound from the bird.

"Hey, Suzume." The twins greeted with a bored stare. Before anything else could be said, Tamaki rushed up and handed me a bag.

"Here's your outfit for today! Go get changed." He pushed me into the changing room before I could say anything. The bird perched on my shoulder squawked as we were pushed through the curtain, flying off my shoulder and perching on the metal rod holding the curtain.

I let out a sigh and pulled out the 'outfit'. The top was designed like a bikini top. It was white with colorful beads decorating the bottom of it. The bottom was designed like a bikini bottom, with a skirt that looked almost like a large scarf that was designed to be tied at one side. Both were white, and the skirt had decorated beading like the bikini top. There was a headdress that was to be worn across the forehead with a small purple gem that would rest in the middle of my forehead. I looked back into the bag after putting the outfit on and found a transparent purple sash to wear over one shoulder, tied at the opposite hip. I put it over my left shoulder and tied it at my right hip. I grabbed the gladiator sandals and slipped them on before taking in my appearance in the large mirror.

I tilted my head critically as I took my reflection in. The light color of the clothes brought out my slight tan and the brightness of my eyes. It also made my freckles pop out. My fishtail braid had become slightly more mussed by the end of the day, which actually worked for the outfit. I let out a 'huh' in surprise. I didn't look half bad.

I stepped out of the dressing room, startling slightly as the bird reclaimed its perch on my shoulder. I scratched its chest absentmindedly as I walked over to the boys, becoming more self-conscious the closer I got to them. By the time I reached them, my arms were crossed over my stomach, covering as much skin as I could.

They turned when they heard me coming, letting out various gasps at my appearance. I flinched, afraid of the worst when I felt two bodies crash into me in a hug. I let out an 'oof', wrapping an arm around both bodies to keep myself from falling. I wasn't surprised when I saw it was the twins, but I did burn with a blush at their close proximity to my scantily clad body. I pulled myself away awkwardly.

"Wow, Suzu-chan! You look so cute!" Honey chirped. I gave him a nervous smile. "Right, Takashi?" Mori looked at me and nodded. "Yeah." He said in his deep timbre. I blushed furiously and ducked my head down.

"You're so adorable!" Tamaki said brightly. He rushed forward and moved to hug me, but I dashed behind Mori. "Don't run from Daddy, my dear daughter!" I held back a laugh, peeking around Mori's arm.

"No hugs, please." I said with a timid squeak. Kyoya sighed and sent Tamaki a withering look.

"Can we prepare for the guests please?" He said, but his tone left no room for argument. Tamaki slouched and walked away dejectedly. I pulled away from Mori, sending him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Mori-senpai. Thanks for letting me use you as a shield." He looked down at me.

"No problem." He said with a hint of a smile.

The boys gathered around a throne-like chair as the time for guests drew near. I was placed on Tamaki's left side, right in front of one of the twins and Kyoya. I forced my hands away from my stomach, taking a deep breath and trying to relax. I took comfort in the bird still resting on my shoulder. I chuckled and ran my fingers over the velvety feathers on its wings.

Before long, one of the doors opened and in walked Haruhi. I let out a sigh of relief and waved at her. She took in the decorations, a look of disbelief and amazement on her face. "What is all this?" She asked incredulously. The bird on my shoulder flew off and landed on her head, making a nest out of her hair. I pouted at the loss of the bird, but couldn't help but laugh at her annoyed expression.

I gasped when I looked at the tree next to Haruhi. Slithering up the trunk was a large ball python. I looked at it with fascination before looking up at Kyoya while the twins harassed Haruhi about being late. "Hey, Kyoya?"

He looked down at me. "Yes, Suzume?"

I pointed to the snake. "Can I hold it?" He looked to where I was pointing, raising his eyebrows when he saw the snake and looked back down at me.

"Yes, I suppose so. All of the animals here are tame so that there are no accidents with the guests. The snake should be quite docile." The group watched as I rushed over and carefully detached the snake from the tree.

It was smaller than I had originally thought, probably only about 5 feet. I stood still while it coiled itself around me. It curled its tail around my waist, the rest of its body stretching diagonally across my back and over my right shoulder. It wrapped itself once around my arm with it's head resting at the crook of my right elbow. I lifted my left arm and gently ran a finger over its smooth scaled head. The snake just poked its tongue out and relaxed.

Feeling more comfortable, I moved back to my position next to the hosts. The twins and Tamaki looked uncomfortable with the snake's presence, but they didn't say anything. Tamaki chose instead to leap from his seat and try to force Haruhi into an outfit. She blatantly refused, choosing instead to keep wearing her school uniform.

"I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's still early spring." Haruhi muttered while checking her small calendar. I chuckled and stole Tamaki's spot in the chair for now. I focused my attention on the snake, feeling more comfortable after distracting myself with bathing the snake with attention. I ignored the conversations going on around me.

 **~Third Person POV~**

While most of the hosts were chattering at Haruhi, Honey sent Suzume a curious look. She was sitting on the throne petting the snake she had pulled off the tree. Nobody had missed the discomfort on her face when she approached them in her outfit, but the look was completely gone when she grabbed the snake.

He and Mori had also noticed her relax when the bird was perched on her shoulder. Deciding to get to the bottom of the mystery, he skipped up to Haruhi.

"Hey, Haru-chan?" His sweet voice chimed. She looked down at him, waiting for him to ask his question. "Why does Suzu-chan only look comfortable around the animals today?" Haruhi blinked and looked over at the girl. She finally noticed what she was wearing and smiled slightly.

"Well, Honey-senpai, judging by what she's wearing, she's probably using the animals to distract herself." At the host club's confused looks, she explained. "Suzume is a happy person, but she's also extremely self-conscious. Wearing something like that is way out of her comfort zone."

"But why would she be self-conscious?" Kaoru questioned. Hikaru chimed in next. "She's got a great figure, and she's adorable." Haruhi shook her head.

"Yeah, but she doesn't see that." She let out a sigh. "She's been like that since we were kids. She's a very modest person. She's also a lot more outgoing than you guys have seen. If she opens up to you, you'll see what I mean" She looked back up. "As for the animals, she's always loved them. Her parents won't let her have many pets, just her dog, but she was always trying to take home strays that she found on our walks back from school." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess they're almost therapeutic for her."

 **~Suzume POV~**

I was so far successful at distracting myself with the snake I decided to call 'Lucy' until the hosts all came back to stand around the throne. I stood up from the chair so Tamaki could sit back down, but he shook his head.

"You look so regal in the throne, please stay." I furrowed my brow but slowly sat back down. Lucy shifted from all my movement. Once she was comfortable again, I rested my arms on the arms of the chair and waited for the guests to arrive.

When the girls started piling in, a lot of them came up to me, oo-ing and ahhh-ing about my outfit. Most wouldn't come too close because of Lucy, but that was okay with me. A couple were brave enough to pet along the part of her body stretching across my back since her face wasn't close to them.

I was flustered by the crowd that had gathered around me, but I couldn't deny that I was having fun. It seems that a lot of people were curious about me since I didn't wear the uniform, but they didn't feel comfortable talking to me before. I guess dressing like a club member made me seem more approachable.

I didn't even realize that club hours were ending when Kyoya walked by, thanking the girls for coming and mentioning a party that the club was apparently having next week. I blinked in surprise, but waited until all the guests left to voice my curiosity.

"So, there's a party next week?" I tilted my head as I asked. Kyoya looked at me and nodded.

"Yes, it's going to be a formal party."

I hummed and turned to see Tamaki sulking in a corner. "Umm..what's wrong with Tamaki-senpai?" I asked worriedly. Kyoya snapped his notebook closed and shook his head.

"Don't worry about him. He's just moping."

I lifted a brow but shrugged my shoulders. I looked down and gave Lucy a sad smile. "Well, it was fun while it lasted, Lucy." I stroked her head gently. The others glanced at each other over my head.

"The animals were borrowed from local pet shelters in the area." Kyoya started. I looked up at him. "If you'd like, you could take the snake home with you." I smiled sadly at his offer.

"Thanks, Kyoya. I really appreciate it, but there's no way that my parents would let me keep her. The only reason I got my dog was because he's supposed to be a guard dog." Kyoya was thoughtful for a moment before walking out of hearing range and pulling out his phone.

Haruhi walked up and looked at the snake curiously. "I didn't know you were into snakes, Suzume."

I chuckled. "Well, they're not my favorite or anything, but I think they're really cool. And pythons are always so relaxed, it makes me relax too, you know?" I smiled down at the snake. "Do you think Ranka would let her stay at your house?" I asked teasingly.

"Not a chance." She gave me an unamused stare. I laughed and waved her dismissal off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kyoya took this opportunity to step back over to us.

"I just spoke with your father." I stood there in silent surprise. "He said that as long as you agreed to care for it and it would stay in your room then he didn't see a problem with you having it."

I looked over Kyoya's face, looking for any sign or hint at what was going on. He had to be hiding something because there is no way that my father would just agree to having a snake in the house.

"Really?" I asked softly, almost afraid that he would say 'just kidding' or something. He nodded and a bright smile lit my face.

"Oh, and he's having your driver pick you up in a couple hours after we clean up. He said the driver would also pick up the necessities for your snake." I resisted the urge to hug him. My dad must have been in on it, because he was the only one that had a way to contact our driver. We didn't use his services often, so it was clearly a big deal to him.

"Thank you, Kyoya-senpai!" I cheered and danced away, taking Lucy to a crate to put her in until my driver got here with her tank.

After we tore down the decorations and changed back into our uniforms, we gathered around a table to talk for awhile and plan for the party before our rides got there. Tamaki was slurping ramen a little ways away from the rest of us and I glanced at him worriedly.

"Hey boss," One of the twins said. "Why don't you come over here and help us plan the party already?" The other one sounded more irritated.

"Does it really bother you that Haruhi stole your client?" One of the twins said with a smirk.

"He really shouldn't be surprised. She does have the host-hopping disease." Kyoya said matter-of-factly.

"Host-hopping disease?" Haruhi asked.

"Miss Kanako never asks for the same host twice." One of the twins explained. I really needed to figure out which was which…

"Oh, so he's that upset because I took her from him?" Haruhi asked with disinterest. Tamaki shot up from his seat and rushed over.

"Shut up!" He yelled. "I couldn't care less!"

When he started ranting about Haruhi needing to dress like a girl, I stopped paying attention. His rants were starting to become normal to me.

I walked over to the back room where I always put my bag and grabbed it before making my way back out to the group. I checked my cell and saw a text from my driver saying that he would be there soon. I let a grin slip onto my face. I didn't see Takaguchi very often, I was excited to catch up.

When I made it back to the group, I heard one of the twins ask if Haruhi had dancing experience. I grimaced. They turned at my approach and I was asked the same question.

"Um, no. Not really." I scratched my cheek nervously. "My parents aren't really in professions that require going to parties, so I never had to learn." Tamaki tutted disapprovingly.

"That won't due. You and Haruhi are required to learn the waltz in one week. If you don't, then I'm going to tell the whole school you're a girl and knock you back down to errand boy!" He pointed an accusing finger at Haruhi.

I raised my hand tentatively, speaking when he looked at me. "Um, Tamaki-senpai, I'm already just an errand girl, so what do I have to do with this?" He looked at me for a moment.

"Because if you don't learn, then Haruhi's quota goes up to FIVE THOUSAND!" I gave him a look before shrugging my shoulders.

"Alright." Haruhi looked at me.

"You really don't mind learning?" She asked incredulously. I shook my head.

"I kinda like dancing. It'll be fun to learn one with actual steps!" I smiled.

She let out a defeated sigh.

"It was good seeing you again, Takaguchi!" I waved as the kind old man drove away after dropping me off and helping me unload and set up the tank for Lucy.

It didn't take long to get her settled, and my parents were surprisingly cheery despite giving in to me having a snake. Usually when things like this happened, they got a little sour with me for a couple days. I didn't question it though, staying cheery through dinner and even getting to bed early.

The next few days consisted of dance lessons, classwork and hosting. That's right, I was bumped up to host. Though I didn't receive nearly as many customers as the rest of them, I did get several girls wanting to have some 'girl-talk' with someone other than each other. It was fun for me, and Kyoya let it add up toward Haruhi's quota.

Today I was practicing dance with Mori. He was considerably taller than me, but he was amazingly graceful. He led me with confidence, never losing patience when I would step on his feet or bump into him. He would give me short corrections or 'good jobs'. I was happy to find that I was a fairly fast learner. My first couple days of practice were painful, literally, for both me and both of the twins, as they had been my partners the first two days.

After finishing the dance with Mori, I turned to watch Haruhi dance with Kanako. Just as I started watching, Haruhi tripped and knocked them both to the ground. I giggled when Kanako wrapped her arms around Haruhi's neck and pulled her closer.

I looked down at my phone and gasped. "Kyoya-senpai?" I called over as I gathered my things. He turned to me. "Yes?"

"I need to leave early today, I have an appointment. I'll see you guys later!" I didn't wait for him to respond, dashing out the doors and out of the school before heading down the busy streets for the office.

When I got there, I rushed through the doors, out of breath and exhausted. "Can I help you?" I looked up and saw a younger woman looking down at me with curiosity and a little nervousness.

I smiled up at her and spoke up after I caught my breath. "Hello, I'm Suzume Yukimura. I have an appointment with Dr. Naoko?" The woman typed something into her computer.

"Ah, yes. She's waiting for you now. Please, head inside." The woman said with a friendly smile. I thanked her and stepped into the office.

I was met with the familiar woman I had been seeing for about a year now. She was a middle aged woman with slightly graying brown hair and gentle brown eyes. Her face was covered in laugh lines that made her all the more approachable. She was dressed casually, a dark blue sweater over a pair of black slacks. She sat behind a small desk with a comfortable chair settled in front of it.

She looked up when I knocked, sending me a bright smile. "Suzume-chan! It's great to see you. Please, come in and have a seat." She waved a hand to the chair in front of her.

I tucked a piece of loose hair behind my ear nervously before complying. I sat my bag at my feet and looked up at her with a nervous smile. Even after a year, I was still somewhat shy with her.

"So, Suzume-chan. How have things been going this month?" She asked politely.

I smiled at the memories of this past month. "It's been going very well. I've...made some new friends." She gave me a bright smile.

"That's great! Where did you meet them?" She took a few notes.

"Well, I joined a club with Haruhi and it didn't take long for them to start growing on me." I said with a chuckle. She sent me another kind smile.

She continued questioning me, but she never made it feel like an interrogation. I told her about the club, about forcing myself out of my bubble, and even about Kyoya convincing my parents to let me keep Lucy. When we were nearing the end of my hour, she finally brought up the dreaded topic.

"How are you faring, Suzume?" She was referring to my recurring bouts of depression and anxiety. It wasn't as serious as many people's cases, but it was very difficult when it would hit me.

I frowned and fidgeted in my seat. "Well, this month has been...a lot easier. I don't think I've actually been depressed since I joined the club, though the social anxiety hits me once in awhile." She looked at me critically before leaning across the desk and patting my hand.

"That's amazing news, Suzume. It sounds like this club is really good for you."

I smiled and nodded my head. "I think so too."

She took a few more notes before looking up at the clock. "Oh! Look at the time! You're a free girl now. Be careful walking home, okay? I'll see you in a month."

I said goodbye and made my way home.

When I walked in the door, Dai rushed up to me, whining and barking his usual greeting. "Hey buddy." I said, ruffling his ears as I pushed past him. My parents were waiting in the kitchen as always after one of my sessions.

"How did it go, dear?" My mother asked lightly. She never wanted me to feel pressured or cornered. I smiled.

"It was good." She was relieved when she heard the sincerity in my voice. "I grabbed some food on my way home, so I'm going to go do some homework and go to bed early, okay? Dance practice has been wearing me out." She simply nodded and I made my way to my room.

After taking a quick shower and changing into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a tank top, I fed Lucy and plopped on my bed. Dai slowly walked into the room, sending Lucy a nervous growl before jumping up on the bed and cuddling with me. I sighed and let out a smile. Things were finally going well.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! I really hope you guys like it, and don't forget to leave me a review! :3 Thank you to all my new followers/favoriters(?) and reviews! You are all wonderful!**

The day of the party arrived quickly. My parents were happy to see me going to a party willingly. I spun in a circle, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My dress was a strapless gown that was fitted tightly on top and gradually flowed down loosely at my feet. There was a slit up the right leg ending just above my knee to allow for more freedom of movement. The dress was a plum color with the bottom sparkling with small diamond-like gems. I wore a pair of matching flats. Since my dress went all the way to the floor, people probably wouldn't see my shoes anyway, so I chose comfort over fashion.

I had pulled my hair to the side and curled it slightly, creating an almost elegant side ponytail. Instead of an elastic holding it in place, bobby pins laced together to secure it and my mom insisted on giving me a jeweled headband to slide in my hair. She also put on a light layer of make-up. The coppery eyeshadow made the green in my eyes more noticeable, while the light coat of face powder lightened the appearance of my freckles. That, I frowned at, but accepted it because it made my mother happy to help me get dressed up. I couldn't bring myself to wash it off.

The twins had offered to pick up Haruhi and I, so I walked down the hall to wait in the kitchen for them. My parents had gone out for a date since I would be out anyway and they had a rare day off. I smiled at the thought and spun a strand of hair around my finger thoughtfully.

I was distracted when Dai lifted his head from his paws at my feet and growled at the door. He started barking and I heard a knock. I quickly stepped forward and looked out the peep-hole, seeing the twins exchanging nervous glances as they heard my dog. I smiled and turned to Dai.

"No." I said sternly. He quieted obediently, but his hackles were still raised. "Stay here. Behave yourself." He understood that I was leaving and deflated almost instantly. I ruffled his ears before grabbing my phone and opening the door a crack and slipping out. "Hey guys!" I said with a shy smile.

They blinked as they took in my appearance. "Hey Suzume." The softer spoken one said first. "You look great." The other one added after a moment of silence. I pulled my lower lip between my teeth nervously before giving a nervous grin.

"Thanks guys. You look pretty spiffy yourselves." They were wearing matching yellowish plaid vests over white button up shirts and black dress pants. They looked very nice.

"Thanks, Suzume!" They said together with a smirk. They both offered me an arm, and I tentatively accepted them. They led me to the limo, where the driver was standing patiently, holding the door open.

I muttered a thanks and a small smile to the driver, who bowed in response, before climbing into the car. The twins climbed in next, seating themselves on either side of me. We made it to Haruhi's house and, surprise, surprise, she was waiting outside of the apartment complex. She rushed into the limo before the twins could get out and look at her place.

The twins and I scooted over, so it was Twin A (I really had to learn their names…) me, Twin B, and Haruhi.

"Wow, Suzume. You look amazing!" Haruhi said as she glanced around Twin B. I rolled my eyes and grinned.

"You're looking pretty snazzy too, Haruhi. You're gonna have the girls drooling over you." She was wearing a brown suit with a blue striped undershirt and a purple tie. She sent me a playful glare.

"Jealous?" She said with a smirk. The twins blinked at each other at our exchange. Laughter bubbled from the two of us.

"You guys are really close, aren't you?" One of the twins asked. I looked at him and nodded, smiling fondly.

"Yeah, we've been best friends since we were young. We know just about everything about each other." Haruhi smiled at my words.

When we arrived at the ball, Haruhi offered me one arm, sending me a wink that caused me to giggle girlishly. I fluttered my eyelashes at her, pretending to swoon. We burst into a fit of giggles. The twins were uncharacteristically quiet, taking in our conversation with rapt attention. I couldn't bring myself to feel uncomfortable at showing some of my natural personality. It had been too long since Haruhi and I had been able to hang out without having to worry about homework.

We entered through a side door to avoid the mob of girls entering through the main doors. I grew nervous at all the people, but I was excited as well. The twins led us to the club room where the rest of the hosts were meeting us.

As soon as we entered the room, I was met with Honey launching himself at me and grabbing my hands, spinning us in a circle. "Suzu-chan, you look so pretty!" He said with a bright smile. I grinned down at him, but I could feel the blush forming on my cheeks.

"Thanks, Honey-senpai. You look adorable!" He was dressed in a cream colored suit that almost matched his hair and a big red bow on his neck. His outfit made his honeyed brown eyes looked even more innocent.

He brought his hands up to his face cutely. "Thanks!"

I took in the other hosts as well, and I had to say, they all cleaned up well. Tamaki was dressed in a white suit with a purple vest, a light pink button up shirt underneath. Kyoya was dressed in a black suit with a blue vest and purple tie. Mori had on a navy blue suit with a white button up underneath.

"Wow, you all look great." I said quietly. Unfortunately, everyone heard me, cooing and telling me how sweet and pretty I was. I flushed, but I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face.

"Alright everyone. Time to get in our places." Kyoya said. He led us to the main staircase, telling us how to position ourselves. The twins were on one side, followed by Haruhi, myself, Tamaki in the center, then Kyoya, Honey and Mori.

When we first showed our faces, the girls cheered loudly, clapping and squealing excitedly. I smiled nervously as a few girls waved at me. I waved back. A few girls fixed me with angry glares, but I did my best to ignore them.

It only took a few minutes for Kyoya and Tamaki to welcome the girls to the party and get the music started. The twins approached Haruhi, who was eyeing the dancefloor with uncertainty.

"Come on, Haruhi, show some enthusiasm." The one on her left said. The other one nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm not really one for these sorts of things." She said with an annoyed sigh.

Kyoya chimed in next. "Well, while you're here, you might as well get something to eat. We have quite the spread." Haruhi perked up at his words.

"Is there fancy tuna?" She asked hopefully. The hosts froze, before Tamaki demanded that they call for fancy tuna. Kyoya moved off to make the phone call.

I chuckled and bumped her with my hip.

"Let's dance, Haruhi. Fancy tuna can wait." She gave me a small smile and bowed, offering me a hand. I accepted her hand and let her lead me to the dance floor.

I was just slightly taller than her, so it wasn't too hard to dance together. We laughed as we waltzed around the room. We only had minor fumbles, but seeing as we had both just learned it, I was pretty impressed.

Before long, Haruhi was swept away by a bold girl and I found myself standing off to the side. A smile graced my features as I took in all of the people dancing and having fun. "Care to dance?" I turned and saw Tamaki with a smile on his face, offering his hand to me.

I chuckled nervously. "Of course, Senpai." I accepted his hand, putting my other on his shoulder while his rested on my waist. We spun around gracefully. He led me flawlessly across the dance floor, weaving around other dancing pairs. Any time I would look down at my feet nervously, he would gently place his finger under my chin.

"You're dancing beautifully, just keep your eyes on me." I blushed slightly, but nodded. Before long, he was accosted by fangirls and my hands were tightly gripped by Honey.

"Dance with me next, Suzu-chan!" I laughed as he spun us around. While Tamaki's dancing was smooth and graceful, Honey's dancing was playful and boisterous. I had to stop after a shorter time than my dance with Tamaki because I was getting dizzy. We stopped at a pillar off to the side of the dance floor near the drinks and snacks.

I laughed merrily as I struggled to catch my breath. "Thank you for the dance, Honey-senpai. It was a lot of fun!" He lifted his hands in a cheer.

"Yay! I'm glad!" He heard some girls calling for him, and turned to wave. "Well, I'm off. Have fun Suzu-chan!" He waved as he ran away. I waved back and leaned against the pillar.

I got a moment of peace before Mori stepped in front of me. He held his arms out as if asking me to dance. I smiled shyly and nodded, taking his left hand in my right and placing my left hand on his shoulder as his right rested on my waist.

His dancing was very methodical. The steps were done perfectly. While he didn't outright smile, the few times I stole a glance at him, he seemed relaxed. He looked down at me once and the corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. When we finished our dance, He bowed to me and moved off to find Honey.

I saw Kyoya standing off to the side. I tilted my head and made my way over. In an unusually brave move, I stepped up to him and held out a hand. "Wanna dance, Kyoya-senpai?" I tried to hide the nervousness from my voice. He sent me a small smile.

"But of course, Suzume." He wasted no time in grasping my hand in his much larger one, pulling me close to him with the hand he placed on my waist. I gripped his shoulder as he led me across the floor.

He seemed to know this dance like the back of his hand, carrying on a conversation even as we danced. He surprisingly helped me calm down the most so far. He almost made the dance seem like child's play, even to me.

My final host-dance was with the twins. They were exuberant in their dancing, spinning and twirling me to each other as the dance went on. Laughs bubbled up from me constantly. The first couple of times they spun me, I was afraid I was going to fall, but the other twin always caught me before I even stumbled.

I was dancing with Kaoru (I asked the first time I danced with each twin) when he turned to look at something. I looked over and saw Kanako pulling Haruhi onto the dance floor. Kaoru turned back to face me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Follow my lead." He whispered with a grin. I gave a nervous chuckle and nodded. He spun us in circles over to the side of the room while I saw Haruhi get snatched by Hikaru.

I soon found myself in a small side room where Haruhi was getting shoved into a changing area. At my confused look, the twins took turns explaining the situation to me.

"So, you're trying to get Kanako and this boy, Suzushima back together?" I asked. The boys nodded their heads. I hummed understandingly.

Haruhi stood from the chair where the twins were doing her make-up. I sent her a mischievous smirk.

"Wow, Haruhi. You actually look like a girl." She gave me an unamused glare. She wobbled in the shoes.

"My face feels heavy and I can't walk in these stupid shoes." She groaned. I chuckled, looking away innocently when she gave me another glare.

"Don't forget Haruhi, you only have 20 minutes before the party reaches it's climax." Kyoya warned. She sighed and made her way to the room where the boy was supposedly waiting.

"Come on, Suzu-chan! Let's go back to the party!" Honey grabbed my wrist and tugged me gently behind him. I smiled and let him pull me back to the dance floor.

We munched on some snacks while we waited for the big reveal. It didn't take long before the side doors were opened and everyone gathered out by the main area outside of the school. The hosts and I were all up on an upper level, with Kanako and her fiance standing down below.

"And now, we'll announce our queen of the night." One of the twins said into a microphone. "Congratulations Miss Kanako Kasugazaki!" Kanako jolted slightly in surprise, sending a shy smile to Suzushima.

"And for her reward, a kiss on the cheek from our king." The first twin continued. "Haruhi Fujioka will stand in for Tamaki." The other one finished. I turned to see Haruhi's reaction, laughing when she gave a 'nope. not happening' glare to the hosts.

"If you do it, I'll reduce your debt by one third." Kyoya said with a confident smirk as he wrote in his notebook.

Haruhi didn't even hesitate. "Well, it is just on the cheek." She stepped down to stand in front of Kanako. She gently grabbed her face, turning it slightly.

"Hey, you don't think this is Haru-chan's first kiss do you?" Honey asked innocently. I held a hand over my mouth to quiet my laughter as Tamaki freaked out.

He ran down the stairs to stop Haruhi, but slipped on something, causing him to fall and crash his hand into Haruhi's back. The force of the impact caused Haruhi to fall forward, accidently crashing her lips into Kanako's. They both reeled back with an embarrassed flush on their faces. Kanako looked up at her fiance fearfully, but he just chuckled awkwardly.

I made eye contact with Haruhi down below and wagged my eyebrows at her suggestively. She gave me a warning glare that I laughed off.

Maybe these guys would be good for me after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Woo! Finally another chapter! Sorry it took so long! I'm searching for a full-time job and I'm babysitting my nephew a lot, so my free time is slowly fading away... But! I'm still kickin', so there will be new chapters! Also, a huge thank you to my reviewers! You've left me wonderful reviews and I can't wait to get more! Thank you to all my new followers and favorites, as well as to my loyal readers! Please enjoy!**

I tugged slightly at my light purple yukata. There was a thick white band wrapped around my waist. I had never worn traditional clothing like this except for at festivals, but it was comfortable so I couldn't complain.

When I exited the changing room, I saw that Haruhi was dressed in a male's yukata that was maroon. Mori was wearing a dark blue yukata, and Honey's was light blue. The twins, Tamaki and Kyoya were all dressed as waiters.

The day was going smoothly. Several girls had requested I sit with them, which surprised me. The first girl had walked up to me with a blush on her face, and asked if I would join her while she sat with the twins. I was surprised that she had come by herself, so I accepted.

The beginning of the club went without a hitch. I enjoyed sitting with the shy girl, whose name I now knew was Aya. When Hikaru and Kaoru started their 'brotherly love' act, I made an excuse to leave. Their behavior caused an unpleasant shiver to run down my spine. I saw Haruhi standing alone, watching the cherry blossoms fall peacefully. I stepped up next to her and watched the same sight.

"Haruhi?" We both turned to see Tamaki standing a short distance away from us. "How are you doing?" He asked smoothly. Aaaaaand… cue flirty spiel. I giggled and moved away towards Honey and Mori's blanket. Honey looked up at me with a bright smile.

"Hey Suzu-chan! Want some tea?" I saw the mess he had made and chuckled awkwardly.

"No, thank you Honey-senpai. I just had some." He frowned slightly, but cheered right up when Mori handed him a piece of cake.

I was just settling down in my spot when I felt two pairs of arms latch to mine, tugging me up and dragging me away. I looked over my shoulder, sending Hikaru a curious frown. He winked and shook his head.

They dragged me up to Haruhi and pulled her into our little 'embrace' we had going on. They pulled a class book out of one of their outfits. "So Haruhi, Suzume," Kaoru started. His voice was slightly more gravelly..? Maybe just a touch deeper than Hikaru's. His eyes also had a look of softness to them while Hikaru's were slightly sharper.

"Have you decided on what your elective courses for this term are going to be?" Hikaru finished.

"How about conversational french?" They said together. I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully, but waited to see what Haruhi said.

She looked over the papers with a slight frown. "I don't know…" She said.

"I think the four of us should take it together." Hikaru proposed. I smiled slightly.

"I wouldn't mind taking a class together." I agreed quietly. Hikaru tightened his grip around my shoulder.

"See? It makes perfect sense." The twins looked over our shoulders, sending mischievous glances at Tamaki. "We are in the same class after all.

Tamaki visibly deflated. He crouched to the ground with a gloomy aura surrounding him. I moved to reassure him, but the twins held me back.

"Say, Mommy?" Tamaki started quietly. I blinked. I turned and saw Kyoya standing nearby.

"What is it now, Daddy?" He emphasized the 'daddy' part with a small smirk on his face.

"I think, and this is merely conjecture, mind you." He gave Kyoya a stern look to make sure he understood. "But I think those twins spend more time with my dear daughters than I do. I think they're getting….closer to them than I am." He finished. He looked at Kyoya hopefully, only to be shot down.

"You're only realizing this now?" Kyoya said with a condescending smile. Tamaki paled. I couldn't hold in the small giggle as I overheard them from a short distance away. Haruhi was distracted with the scheduling questions from the twins. I would just take whatever Haruhi did, so I was more entertained listening to Tamaki and Kyoya talk.

Kyoya pulled out some charts, further taunting Tamaki into depression. Suddenly, he leapt up and yanked Haruhi and I from the twins grasp. He grasped our shoulders and looked at us with earnest.

"Listen you two, I don't want you hanging out with those shady twins anymore!" I tried to force down the grin threatening to break through.

"Hey!" Hikaru argued. "Who are you calling shady?!" They both thrust an indignant fist in the air at Hikaru's words.

"Yeah! You're one to talk!" Kaoru stated. Tamaki froze.

"Yes. Then there's only one thing to be done." He sent us serious, making me shift back nervously.

"Haruhi, you can't hide the fact that you're a girl any longer! Change back! Change back now!" He shook her shoulders desperately. I let out a chuckle, cringing slightly at the death glare Haruhi sent me.

"She'll be found out soon enough." Kaoru said from my left.

"Yeah. After all," Hikaru continued.

"Physical exams are the day after tomorrow." They finished in unison. I blinked. I had forgotten that they were a thing. Though I shouldn't really be surprised that rich schools have them as well.

"That's right, I forgot all about it." Kyoya said as he fixed his glasses. The rest of the club fixed Haruhi with blank stares.

"Well, I guess there's no choice then. Everyone is going to find out that I'm a girl." Her tone spoke volumes.

She didn't care.

The next day, we were in the club room with Tamaki still throwing a fit about Haruhi acting like a girl. He was seated in his 'throne', and suddenly went silent. He got a dreamy smile on his face as he spaced out. Haruhi left the club room to go ask a professor about homework while it was slow.

"Tama-chan must be having a nice daydream!" Honey chirped. Hikaru was standing next to him.

"He's kind of creeping me out." He stated bluntly. Tamaki sprung to life, sticking a finger in Hikaru's face.

"Jealous, Hikaru? This is all part of my plan." He smirked. "While you've been blinded by your envy, I have foreseen the outcome of this charade." He spun dramatically. "This is obviously a romantic comedy!"

"Haruhi and I are love interests." He then pulled me to his side. "And Suzume is our daughter!" I blinked.

Tamaki took a stick and drew a line between us and the rest of the hosts. "And you all, are the homosexual supporting cast. So please don't step over this line."

"You've got to be kidding." The twins grumbled together. I noticed that all of the hosts except for Honey had looks of irritation on their faces. Even Mori had a tweak in his eyebrow.

"I don't think you get it boss." The twins continued.

"If everyone finds out she's a girl, Haru-chan won't be able to be in host club anymore!" Honey cried out.

Tamaki let out a gasp of horror. "But, if she started dressing like a girl, I bet Haruhi would be even cuter than she is now!" Honey finished with a smile.

Kyoya chimed in, talking about Haruhi in middle school, and about all the boys that would ask her out.

"Oh, so the boss wouldn't even be able to get near her." Kaoru said with a smirk.

"But we'd be able to, because we're in class with her." Hikaru smirked as well.

Haruhi chose this moment to return. "Sorry I'm late guys."

Tamaki ran forward and gripped her shoulders. "No! Please, Haruhi. We'll help keep your secret! So please, stay our secret princess." His voice was laced with desperation.

"Okay." Haruhi said nonchalantly.

"How can you do that, Tamaki-senpai?" I asked curiously. "You can't exactly hide her gender in a physical exam…"

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Haruhi chimed in.

Tamaki gasped again. "Are you saying that you hate this club?!"

"If I'm being totally honest, yes." She said bluntly. I snorted back a laugh at Tamaki's face.

"I mean, there's nothing to be done about it. I'll just have to find some other way to repay my debt." She continued.

"MEN! She shows no concern for her future as a part of the host club! We must convince her!" I rolled my eyes fondly and listened to the boys plot.

Mori's eyes flashed suddenly. "Fancy tuna." Haruhi visibly flinched.

"That's right. You didn't get to try any at the party, did you?" Tamaki asked with a sly smirk.

Oh, they got her now. I thought to myself.

"I may not have gotten to eat any, but that doesn't mean I'm enough of a glutton to hide my gender just to try it." She said. Yes it does.

She paused for a moment before blushing slightly and looking down. "Will I really get to try some?"

Hook, line, and sinker.

The boys minus Kyoya and Mori cheered.

The day of the exam came up quickly. When Haruhi and I got to the room they were doing them in, I almost lost it when I noticed Mori and Honey dressed up as doctors.

Kyoya, noticing my failure to contain giggles, shifted his glasses on his nose.

"They're here for backup, in case anything happens."

I let out a few short giggles before settling for a large grin. I continued walking with Kyoya. Haruhi and the twins were walking in front of us. I was getting a little nervous when I saw how public the whole affair was. Girls were being weighed and measured in plain sight, and small curtains were all that blocked you from view when doing the more personal bits.

"If you'd like, I set up a private doctor for Haruhi. You can join her if you'd prefer." Kyoya said as he looked through his book. I looked up at him.

"Y-yes, please." He nodded and led me towards a stage where 'Haruhi' was getting her chest measured.

Except it wasn't Haruhi. It was Tamaki.

I heard the mumbles of confusion from the girls standing around the stage, murmuring their discontent at missing out on seeing Haruhi shirtless. The twins were guffawing off to the side. We approached them and they wrapped an arm around each of my shoulders.

"Suzume-chan, we told the boss that he could pull off disguising himself as Haruhi," Hikaru started.

"And he totally fell for it!" Kaoru finished before they burst into another round of laughter.

"That's not very nice you guys." I said with a chuckle. Seeing Tamaki fluster around on stage was kind of funny.

"Aw, Suzume-chan~" They whined.

"You guys said the girls wouldn't know it was me!" Tamaki yelled as he rushed at the twins.

"It's revenge for calling us the homosexual supporting cast." Hikaru said with a grin.

Tamaki nervously stuck his head behind the curtain to talk to Haruhi, but I couldn't hear what was being said. After a moment, he let out a shriek before crumbling in depression. Haruhi stepped out from the curtain and approached Kyoya and I.

"Are you ready Haruhi?" Kyoya asked. She sent him a curious look. "I set up a special clinic for you with one of my families doctors. They're sworn to secrecy. Suzume is going to join you."

Haruhi let out an irritated sigh.

"Apparently, all the doctors on staff today are from one of Kyoya-senpai's families hospitals." Hikaru said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It would have been nice if he had said something to us earlier." Kaoru said, mimicking Hikaru's gesture.

"Well, I had to get my revenge too. I just don't think I'm supporting cast. Homosexual or otherwise." He said with a smirk.

Haruhi grumbled her annoyance before grabbing my wrist and dragging me to the room we were having our exam in. She stopped in front of the door and let out a heavy sigh before knocking.

"Come in." We heard a voice call. Haruhi opened the door and we were met with a young woman sitting at a small table with paperwork in front of her.

"Oh, hello. You must be Mr. Fujioka and Ms. Yukimura. I've been made aware of your situation, so if you could both disrobe for me behind that curtain." She said with a smile.

"T-thank you." I said shyly. I followed Haruhi to the changing area, where we started pulling off our uniforms.

"Those boys are so stupid sometimes." Haruhi grumbled as she pulled off her white button up. I giggled.

"Yeah, but they mean well." I said. I just finished lowering my dress to the floor when I turned to see a man stepping into the curtain quietly. I gasped. Haruhi turned and saw the man.

"Excuse me-" She was cut off when the man lunged at us, throwing a hand over our mouths.

"Shhhh, please, this isn't what it looks like!" The ragged man pleaded.

"TAMA-CHAN KICK!" We heard before Tamaki lunged through the curtain and kicked the man away from us.

He dropped his shirt on Haruhi's head, while Mori's jacket was placed gently over my shoulders. I pulled it tightly to myself.

"Thanks, Mori-senpai." I said with a shy grin and a blush. He put his hand on my head.

"Ah." Which was Mori-speak for 'You're welcome.'

After the man gave us his life story and Tamaki helped him find a list of the schools his daughter could be attending, he left and the host club stood somewhat awkwardly in the changing room with us.

"Can you guys leave?" Haruhi said bluntly. The hosts flinched.

"Haruhi, you're not still mad at me are you? You're not thinking of quitting the host club?" He began to panic. Haruhi let out a light laugh.

"Don't be stupid, Senpai. We just have to finish our exams. Mine as a male student, of course." She said with an uncharacteristically sly grin.

"And just to be clear, I'm not doing this for the food! I'm doing it to pay back my debt." I smiled at the surprised and happy look on Tamaki's face. Suddenly, his face brightened in a blush and he pulled Haruhi into a hug.

While she was only covered by his shirt.

"I know you're only in it for the fancy tuna, but you're so cute!" Tamaki squealed as Haruhi yelled in frustration.

"Ahh! Senpai, don't touch me there!" She cried out. I burst out laughing.

"Red Card!" The twins yelled. "Senpai's the real pervert!"

"Will you guys just get out of here?!" Haruhi finally scolded. They scurried out to give us our privacy.

Haruhi sent me an exhausted sigh. I looked at her, seriously for a moment before we both burst out laughing.


End file.
